
Are you thinking of flooring ideas for your office, garage floor, or other outdoor surfaces?
Epoxy flooring, otherwise known as resinous flooring, is an excellent option. It is long-lasting and resistant to a high level of wear and tear.
Follow us as we guide you through everything you need to know about epoxy flooring.
What is Epoxy Flooring?
Epoxy flooring is a form of synthetic resin flooring 'technique' that provides protection when applied on concrete substrates. It's a unique floor material that's durable, customizable, and can be used to decorate any surface, especially the concrete floor, making it a popular option for most people these days.
Compared to other types of resin that are 'commonly used' for flooring, epoxy is the highest strength resin so far.
Here's how it works: First, prep and smoothen the concrete floor or surface you're working with. Next, combine the resin and hardening chemicals to form a compound. Then pour it on top of the concrete till it hardens.
This layering process is usually repeated up to three times to give the epoxy flooring the firmness, durability, stain resistance, and extremely low shrinkage it posses.
To know more about the various types of epoxy floors and where to use them, continue reading to find out.
Types of Epoxy flooring and where to use them?
Self-Leveling Epoxy Floors
This type is ideal for smoothening old, cracked, and damaged concrete floors. They are mostly found in warehouses, showrooms, manufacturing buildings, kitchens, athletic facilities, commercial garages, office buildings.
Quartz-Filled Epoxy Floors
This is a combination of a high-performance epoxy polymer resin and stained quartz grains. They are mostly used in locker rooms, restrooms, schools, cafeterias, lobbies, offices, showrooms.
Epoxy Flake Floors
This contains colored flakes mixed with epoxy to create a vibrant look. You'll mostly find them in locker rooms, sports venues, showrooms, clinics, commercial kitchens, swimming pools.
Graveled Epoxy Floors
This comes with intricate designs and is customizable. If you are very creative, then this is an ideal type for you. They are used in stores, buildings, and restaurants.
Pros and Cons of Epoxy Floors
Pros
An epoxy floor is resistant to stains and chemicals. You can easily wipe them off without worrying about leaving a stain on the surface.
It is highly resistant to shock, heat, and water.
It lasts for a very long time if properly installed.
An epoxy floor is affordable and pocket-friendly.
It covers damaged concrete floors, making the surface smooth and sleek.
It offers protection to the concrete below, keeping it from wear and tear.
Cons
Installing an epoxy floor in your home can be inconvenient because it requires time to dry and harden fully.
Epoxy floors are slippery when wet. This can be very dangerous when you have children or older adults around. To avoid this, ask the contractor to use silica in the final coating to add more grip.
Installation of epoxy floors is quite tiresome, especially if you are attempting a DIY project.
An ideal humidity level is essential as moisture can damage the floor.
Epoxy floors are cold under your feet. This can be solved by using an underfloor heating system.
Epoxy flooring is an ideal solution for places with high foot traffic, which includes: your kitchen, bathroom, garage, basement, swimming pool area, locker rooms, sports venues, showrooms, and office buildings. They are appealing, durable, and easy to customize.
When installing your epoxy floor, your best bet would be to hire a professional to do the job to avoid damages. That way, you can be sure that your epoxy floors will serve you for much longer.
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